SPOKANE, Wash. (RNS) Victoria Ann Thorpe's sister has been on death row for 18 years for a crime she says she didn't commit. Now Thorpe is leading a grass-roots campaign to abolish the death penalty in Washington state, saying Jesus would never tolerate it. “Nothing that he did or said can be manipulated into harshness,” she said. By Tracy Simmons.

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(RNS) While fewer Muslims are supporting Obama this year, Muslim support for Mitt Romney, at 7 percent according to a recent poll, is more than triple the 2.2 percent of Muslims who voted for John McCain in 2008. By Omar Sacirbey.

Photographs of a Mormon service at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – Lenexa Ward on Sunday June 17, 2012 in Lenexa, Kan. These slideshows were created by Religion News Service to provide our readers with an inside look at various religious services. From a Catholic Mass to prayer at a mosque, these images help understand the culture and diversity of the religious world, as well as how people pray and celebrate their religion. Photos by Sally Morrow / Religion News Service

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(RNS) Because of its severity and prevalence, female genital mutilation is arguably one of the most important human rights issues in the world. But the practice remains poorly understood, both by supporters who assert it is mandated by Islam, and opponents who, according to some activists, do more to sustain the practice than end it. By Omar Sacirbey.

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RNS) Although most major religions discourage sex outside of marriage, Muslims and Hindus are more likely to abstain from extramarital sex than Christians and Jews, according to a new study. By Jeanie Groh.

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(RNS) President Barack Obama on Thursday (Oct. 25) endorsed the same-sex marriage referendum on the Washington state ballot and also formally backed a similar measure on the ballot in Maine. By Jeff Mapes.